Pre-positioning deployment system for small unmanned underwater vehicles

Abstract

A system is disclosed for pre-positioning a canister assembly at an undersea location. A transporter deploys to and releases the assembly proximate to the desired location. Once the assembly has fallen a safe distance after release, spring bands of the assembly are released by the action of lanyards of the transporter. The release allows anchor plates on each end of the assembly to separate from the assembly thereby dragging the assembly to a seafloor with the assembly buoyant at the undersea location. A vehicle deployment from the assembly is actuated by an acoustic receiver that causes a release device to release a normally compressed spring thereby allowing the spring to expand. During expansion, water is drawn into the assembly through flow ports to force a plunger plate with the water to act on a vehicle to deploy the vehicle out of a deployment tube of the assembly.

1. A deployment system for an undersea environment, said deployment system comprising:
 a transporter having a quick release device and lanyards; and 
 a canister assembly secured to said quick release device, said canister assembly having spring bands encompassing a circumference of said canister assembly and secured to said transporter by said lanyards with said canister assembly further having anchor plates secured to a first and second end of said canister assembly by at least one anchor line and said spring bands; 
 wherein said quick release device and said lanyards are capable of releasing said canister assembly upon deployment at an extent of said lanyards such that said spring bands separate to release said anchor plates from the ends of said canister assembly to position said anchor plates on a surface of the undersea environment thereby positioning said canister assembly by the buoyancy of said canister assembly and the securing of said at least one anchor line. 
 
   
   
     2. The deployment system in accordance with  claim 1  wherein said canister assembly is capable of stowing at least one vehicle and wherein said canister assembly further comprises a signal receiver, said signal receiver operationally controllable of the vehicle such that upon detection of an acoustic signal said signal receiver initiates the release of the vehicle from said first end of said canister assembly. 
   
   
     3. The deployment system in accordance with  claim 2 , said canister assembly further comprising at least one deployment tube wherein said one least one deployment tube includes:
 a release device controllable by said signal receiver; 
 a cord releasably secured at one end to said release device; 
 a plunger plate positioned transverse to a longitudinal axis of said deployment tube and secured at another end of said cord, said plunger plate movable along the longitudinal axis; and 
 a spring positioned between said plunger plate and said release device; 
 wherein said signal receiver initiates the release of the vehicle from said deployment tube and said canister assembly by actuating said release device to release said cord thereby allowing said spring to uncoil with a resultant energy on said plunger plate to move against the vehicle to exit from said deployment tube and said canister assembly. 
 
   
   
     4. The deployment system in accordance with  claim 3  wherein said deployment tube further includes a plurality of flow ports through a periphery of said deployment tube and wherein said plunger plate encompasses a check valve on a shared plane with said plunger plate;
 wherein said flow ports are capable of drawing water from the undersea environment into said deployment tube thereby equalizing the pressure within said canister to the undersea environment in combination with the movement of said check valve; and 
 wherein said flow ports are capable of pressuring the vehicle in combination with said plunger plate to exit said canister assembly. 
 
   
   
     5. The deployment system in accordance with  claim 4  wherein said deployment tube further comprises guides rails positioned along an inside diameter of said deployment tube, said guide rails capable of providing a low friction support of the vehicle and an annular flow passage as the vehicle exits said deployment tube. 
   
   
     6. The deployment system in accordance with  claim 5  wherein said acoustic receiver is operational to various coded release messages in order to prevent said deployment system from accidentally allowing for the release of the vehicle. 
   
   
     7. The deployment system in accordance with  claim 6  wherein said deployment tube further comprises a protective bag to encompass the vehicle for protecting the vehicle from exposure to the undersea environment. 
   
   
     8. The deployment system in accordance with  claim 1  wherein said canister assembly is capable of stowing a plurality of vehicles and wherein said canister assembly further comprises a signal receiver, said signal receiver operationally controllable of the vehicles such that upon detection of an acoustic signal said signal receiver can initiate the release of a vehicle from said plurality of vehicles from said first end and from said second end of said canister assembly. 
   
   
     9. The deployment system in accordance with  claim 8 , said canister assembly further comprising a plurality of deployment tubes wherein each of said plurality of deployment tubes includes:
 a release device controllable by said signal receiver; 
 a cord releasably secured at one end to said release device; 
 a plunger plate positioned transverse to a longitudinal axis of said deployment tube and secured at another end of said cord, said plunger plate movable along the longitudinal axis; and 
 a spring positioned between said plunger plate and said release device; 
 wherein said signal receiver initiates the release of the vehicle from said deployment tube and said canister assembly by actuating said release device to release said cord thereby allowing said spring to uncoil with a resultant energy on said plunger plate to move against the vehicle to exit from said deployment tube and said canister assembly. 
 
   
   
     10. The deployment system in accordance with  claim 9  wherein said deployment tube further includes a plurality of flow ports through a periphery of said deployment tube and wherein said plunger plate encompasses a check valve on a shared plane with said plunger plate;
 wherein said flow ports are capable of drawing water from the undersea environment into said deployment tube thereby equalizing the pressure within said canister to the undersea environment in combination with the movement of said check valve; and 
 wherein said flow ports are capable of pressuring the vehicle in combination with said plunger plate to exit said canister assembly. 
 
   
   
     11. The deployment system in accordance with  claim 10  wherein said deployment tube further comprises guides rails positioned along an inside diameter of said deployment tube, said guide rails capable of providing a low friction support of the vehicle and an annular flow passage as the vehicle exits said deployment tube. 
   
   
     12. The device in accordance with  claim 11  wherein said deployment tube further comprises a protective bag to encompass the vehicle for protecting the vehicle from exposure to the undersea environment. 
   
   
     13. The deployment system in accordance with  claim 12  wherein said acoustic receiver is operational to various coded release messages in order to prevent said deployment system from accidentally allowing for the release of the vehicle.